Garage-Boat or Car?

[D189]

I have a choice this winter. Either the truck or the Triton gets the garage. Obviously it's better to store a boat inside given the choice, but does it necessarily do any harm to keep it outside in the driveway shrinkwrapped? I hate scraping windows on cold Michigan mornings. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
D189

[Craig]

You sound as if you are locked on the horns of a dilema. Let's put this in perspective. Where are your values? Of course the boat stays in the garage. It's your pride and joy isn't it? What's a little ice on the windshield? Up there in Michigan a pickaxe and shovel work real well to get the ice off the windshield. All it requires is a half hour or so of persistant labor. Look at the bright side, you'll stay in better shape.

Seriously, my guess is you'll have the boat longer than the truck. In that case I'd keep the boat in the garage.

I'm a teacher and my wife teaches at the same school. We share many of the same students. Kids being kids they are always curious about us and eventually one will ask me "Which one of you is boss?" I always tell them "Come over to the house sometime and I'll raise up the garage door for you. Inside that garage you'll see a bright red Ranger and my van. Go figure." They laugh and go tell her what I said next class. She always replies "Yes, his van and his boat are in the garage all right. But before you make any decisions as to who is boss, check out the doghouse."

What we don't go through for our boats!

[REW]

You have a 3rd possibility.
You can store the boat in an off-garage site. Covered and dry.
In most areas - you should be able to get boat storage for a boat of your size for 20-60 per month.

With the long MN winters, I can't imagine - not having the car in the garage for those cold frosty mornings -- or after a 2 foot snowfall - that I don't have to clean off my car - by its being in the garage.

Although, I don't do it -- many many boats are stored in the elements with a professional shrink wrap -- for months with little or no degredation in the appearance of boat or trailer.

Your choice -- but - the clean cars, no frost, no cleaning -- etc. is worth quite a bit to me. I have stored my boat off site for the last 15 years, and will continue to do so in the future.

The best long term choice -- is to expand the on-site storage (build a 2nd garage, or increase the size of the existing garage - to allow both.

Good luck -- and enjoy those cold frosty mornings, and days of heavy snow fall that aren't too far in the future.

Winterize your rig well - and have a great spring.

take care

REW

[Homer]

Ohmigod! I finally disagree with one of REW's responses (at least part of it). If you're in the southern half of Michigan, winters aren't all that hard on the car and storing your boat in the garage allows you endless tinkering opportunties while waiting for open water. He is right, as per usual, that the best alternative may be expanding your storage area to accomodate both.

[Dodge1]

I'm a real estate agent in the midwest and expanding your garage is great idea and an excellent investment to boot. Of course this depends on your financial situation and the size of your lot.

In my 15 years of selling real estate, I have yet to hear any buyers say, their garage is just to ##### big, they have too many bathrooms, the kitchen is just too large or they have way too much room for storage. The only flip side to that is, you don't ever want to over improve your home, in relation to your neighbors, even if you plan on keeping it forever.

As to your other alternatives, I don't think it's wrong to store a boat outside. If it's covered properly and winterized.

FYI, I keep my boat in the garage, with my wifes car, while my new pickup sits outside and yes I sell real estate out of a pickup truck :)

[ibfishn]

Another option not mentioned is to purchase one of the many portable canopies on the market today, you can keep your boat in the backyard or on the driveway all winter and it will be out of the elements. Or put it in the garage and invest in an remote starter for your truck. It will be warm in the morning when you leave for work and no window scraping.

[John]

No bout a doubt it- Boat gets the garage.

-John

[moreyes]

I can not believe you guys think so lowly of that area,I think of it more of a "Men's crisis center" a place where you can go and go and relax and tinker the day's problems away. Boat definatly get's the nod here,got to be able to tinker and fine tune it for next year. I have great wife she said she would much rather see me in the garage than in some bar anytime.

Good luck, and may the lakes freeze late.
moreyes

[Lundy]

My truck is on the driveway and my boats stays in the garage!!

[FJH1]

My wife's mini van and my boat are in the garage. My Explorers are in the driveway. However, I did buy a product called "car skates". I can easily jack up the wheels of the trailer, put these "skates" unter the tires and then I can easily move the boat around (especially sideways). We have a 2.5 car garage and I can get a Lund 1800 Pro V SE, Ford Windstar and Ford Explorer in the garage. It's a TIGHT fit, but it works. Maybe an option for you?

Best Regards,

FJH

[SJW]

No question. The boat goes in the garage.

[Jn]

Fjh1
Just curious...where did you buy those"car skates" and what did you pay for them??
Thanks
JN

[Doc_wi]

A relativly inexpensive plug in for the car for an engine block heater and a windshield cover means the boat gets the garage.

Married man's list of garage space priority. (2 car garage)
#1 Boat
#2 Wifes car
#3 Kids bikes, garbage cans, weber, and misc. lawn care items.
#4 Your Truck

Married man's list of garage space priorities (1 car garage)
#1 Boat
Of couse negotiating this usually requires dinner and lots of other barganing. An occasional weekend trip to a hotel away from the kids (and you) can usually close the deal.

Single man's list of garage space priorities (1 car garage)
#1 ?
Decide this for yourself so the rest of us can see just how serious you are about your fishing equipment. It might make a difference next time there's only one spot open for that trip to Erie.

Actually the shrink wrap works out very well if it's done properly. Vented and done with the right material, you should be happy with the results. Still being able to get things ready for early season fishing makes the gargage the place to be.

Good Luck and enjoy your Triton.

Doc

[GWB]

Where did you get these skates? They sound great.

[Don..SD]

Boat in the garage. Buy an auto start so you can start your van from the house. It runs for 15 minutes and then shuts off. Here in S.D. about 240.00 installed.

[Gunga Din]

My boat won't fit in the garage, but even if it did I'd still keep it parked outside. I have a nice waterproof cover that covers the boat and motors. And I fish most of the winter.

The only downside with this is the tinker factor. You can't work on your boat--or even vacuum it--all winter!

BTW, I live in Utah which gets plenty of snow and cold--at least it better in 2002!

[Angler1]

I live in northern Minnesota. I love my boat, but I also hate scraping off windows and digging out a snowed on or in vehicle more. When I get up in the AM to go to work I like to grab the coffee cup, back out of the garage, and drive to work. I can get my exercise walking across a lake dragging my ice fishing equipment. Until last year, when I built a new 36 X 30 garage, the boat went outside.

I jacked up the trailer, placed notched out 2x4's laid on end across the gunwales, covered them with 1/4" OSB and tarped the entire boat. In the spring I had an unwrapping day and moved it into my then much smaller garage and began parking outside.

Like someone above posted, it's a matter of what you value more.

[FJH1]

Sorry for the late reply, our server was down. I purchased them at www.carskates.com. I think they run $72.50 a pair. They're really well made and super heavy.

Best Regards,

FJH

[FJH1]

I purchased them through www.carskates.com. I paid $72.50 a pair (plus shipping). I think the company is in Michigan. These things are well made and very heavy duty.

Best Regards,

FJH

[Juls_WI]

Put the boat in the garage. Like the other posts said, you can always go out and "tinker" in the boat waiting for the spring thaw.
If you get too much ice and slushy stuff on the vehicle..just take it to the car wash. Simple. Scraping is good for the muscles don'tcha know..:-)

I vote for the boat.

Juls

[Someday]

My two trucks are in the garage, boat in the barn, wife's car in the driveway.

[Simple]

Boat = Garage = Always

Car = on driveway = always

and put a space heater in the dog house, it aint so bad!!!!

[CJHughes]

Boat in cars out kids scrape windows and start cars,15 year old boy who just got his temps,dreams that someday he to will drive .

[Tomr]

This is easy, My wife's car get part of the garage and my boat the other half. My truck is outside. I like to tinker in early spring and the boat being inside makes it nice. Thanks, tr

[JimStolpa]

I agree auto-start is the way to go. I have it and it makes the boat in the garage issue an easy one.

[luredaddy]

I am in the process of buying another 100 feet of adjoining property, why, to build a triple car garage to go with my double garage. It will store my 2000 Lund and my son's 1967 Thompson Seacoaster. My wife believes the $20,000 investment is a buffer to further development in our area. Protect those boats, they bring us alot of happiness!! Catch a Musky!!!

[slipkid]

"The garage door is the window into a mans soul." Look in my garage door and you will see my lawn tractor, snowmobile, and boat. My wifes van and my truck both sit outside. Last I checked she still tells me she loves me...